Townhouses For Sale in Oak Ridges, Richmond Hill

King Road's teardown-to-townhouse shift

Oak Ridges grew in stages. Housing began around Lake Wilcox in the 1950s. From the late 1980s through the 1990s, new subdivisions spread across the northwest and then the southwest of the community. Development largely paused in the early 2000s amid the fight over the moraine, and later picked up again in specific areas, including near Bond Lake after Richmond Hill council removed its protected status in 2008.

The newest trend is redevelopment. Along King Road, older single-family homes from the 1950s are being replaced with higher-density townhouses. That brings newer units onto the market in an area that previously had mostly detached homes and subdivision-era rows.

So an Oak Ridges townhouse search will usually turn up two different products: a resale freehold town from the subdivision boom, or a newer infill unit with modern systems and, often, a common elements fee.

Hills, pine forests and the high water table

The whole community sits on the moraine, which gives it hilly terrain, pine forests and creeks. It also means a high water table in places. When buying here:

• Ask about basement water. Find out whether the home has a sump pump, a backwater valve, and any history of water problems.
• Check the grading. On hilly lots, look at how water drains away from the house and whether downspouts are properly extended.
• Look at insurance. Ask your insurer about water and sewer backup coverage before you firm up the deal.
• Check conservation rules. Properties near natural features may have limits on additions, decks or tree removal.

Viva Blue up Yonge and the GO stations to the east

Yonge Street is the main artery. Viva Blue, a limited-stop bus rapid transit route, runs from Finch station north through Oak Ridges to Newmarket, with stops at Bloomington Road, Regatta Avenue and King Road. York Region Transit routes fill in the local network.

For trains, Gormley GO, opened in December 2016, and Bloomington GO serve the northern end of the Richmond Hill line. King City station on the Barrie line is to the west. The CN line runs along the east side of the community but has no station in Oak Ridges itself.

By car, Highway 404 is to the east and Highway 400 to the west, which makes Oak Ridges reasonably well placed for commuters heading north as well as south.

Who chooses Oak Ridges

Families who want trails and lakes on their doorstep make up a big share of townhouse buyers here. The Oak Ridges Corridor conservation area around Bond Lake has hiking and mountain biking trails, and Lake Wilcox has a beach, boardwalk and community centre.

Downsizers from detached homes in the area also look here, especially for newer infill units with more manageable layouts. Many of those units are three storeys, though, so check stairs and bedroom placement carefully.

Schools are run by the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board. Use each board's locator for the exact address.

Oak Ridges usually has a healthy number of townhouse listings. Compare the live data here with the separate Oak Ridges Lake Wilcox area, which covers the streets closer to the lake.

The two are often searched together, since they share the same transit and moraine setting. The difference is mainly how close you want to be to the water and the community centre.